He’s one of the highest paid football stars in the world and well regarded as one of the best, but people are still tearing their hair out about his hair. It was overwhelmingly clear to social media users what was to blame for Wayne Rooney's miss of a close range goal during England's march against Uruguay on Friday morning. People can be cruel. After undergoing two hair transplants, Rooney has well and truly earned his place on any list about World Cup hair. We hope Rooney and his tiny new cow lick (maybe calf lick) are very happy together.

If you really want to see who has done the most with the least in this World Cup, look no further than Italian defender Gabriel Paletta. It takes courage for a man in his 20s to stare male pattern baldness in the eye and not to bust out the clippers (particularly when you belong to a team that looks like this). ‘‘Total refusal to accept he's bald,’’ one snarky Twitter user wrote when Paletta showed some sneaky scalp during his team’s game against England.

Parramatta hair stylist Lemai Wilson said he should forget parting his hair and go shorter on the sides if he wants to create an illusion of fullness. There are apparently also treatments that can help you grow 1700 new hairs in three months. That's about 19 hairs a day. Alternative options include: never be seen without a hat, refuse to sit down or get some kind of facial tattoo to distract people.

Neymar: a reputation for keeping things fresh. Photo: Getty Images

Neymar - The Hedgehog

He’s a cut above the others on the field, but Brazil’s Neymar has also found himself in the cross-hairs for his new blond do. The football legend has quite the reputation for keeping things fresh in the hair department and last week he rocked up to a squad training session with a cut inspired by the humble hedgehog.

‘‘Look, it’s not great is it? It looks a little bit Tina Sparkle,’’ Sydney salon owner and hair stylist Brad Ngata said. ‘‘We certainly haven’t been inundated with requests for it.’’According to Mr Ngata, clients prefer a David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo look. Let’s hope Nemyar has as many highlights in his matches during the next month as he now does in his hair.

Raul Meireles: something to look at. Photo: Reuters

Raul Meireles - You Talkin' To Me?

It’s hard to stand out when you’re on the same team as Cristiano Ronaldo. But with his mohawk, tattoos and thick ginger beard, Portgual’s Raul Meireles has at least given people something else to look at.

Meireles showed the man behind his tough-guy haircut, which has been compared to Robert De Niro's in Taxi Driver, when he was pictured gesturing with his fingers behind the ref during a match on Monday. "Raul Meireles was just explaining that he would drop back to the position of central defender, playing on the right of the defence,’’ the Portuguese Football Federation explained.

Ermin Bicakcic: are there budgies living in there? Photo: Reuters

Ermin Bicakcic - Get coiffed

Now this is what you would call hair-raising style. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ermin Bicakcic is the latest football player to try out the coif, also known as the pompadour. Well-placed sources say a small but happy family of budgies live inside his hair.

It may look elaborate but it's a rather simple cut: light on the sides and back, heavy on top. Here’s how you too can get coiffed in just a few simple steps. Pompadour aficionados include David Beckham, Elvis Presley, Zac Efron and Betty Grable.

Bacary Sagna: result of a bet with his dad. Photo: AFP

Bacary Sagna - Lethal weapon

When it comes to fashion, there's little gain without pain. French footballer Bacary Sagna’s famous blond braids might be fashion-forward but they would also be uncomfortable, according to Paddington hair stylist Joel Wallbank. ‘‘All the blond hair is synthetic hair and they actually burn the ends with a lighter to fuse it together and that’s how the plait stays. It would get quite heavy down the bottom and hit into his face.’’

It turns out the danglers were a result of a bet with his dad. ‘‘The bet was I had to score two goals to change my hairstyle,’’ Bacary told Champions Magazine. "That's my father - not one, two! Afterwards, I called him and told him I'd done it. He didn't believe me, but I did it and I remember thinking, 'Now, I can do what I want.'’’.

Marouane Fellaini: "I do cut my hair regularly because otherwise ... I wouldn't be able to see the ball." Photo: AFP

Marouane Fellaini - Big, bushy and beautiful

After trying out tight braids, a short cut and silver hair dye, Belgian footballer Marouane Fellaini has let his big, bushy locks flow free during the World Cup. But having such voluminous hair doesn't make life all breezy and beautiful like a shampoo ad (take note, Rooney and Paletta). ‘‘Afros have to be brushed all the time. You have to keep it nice and clean,’’ Mascot barber Sam Rehim said.

Even Fellaini has a careful maintenance routine to ensure his hair doesn’t take on a life of its own. ‘‘I do cut my hair regularly because otherwise, after a few months, I wouldn’t be able to see the ball any more – especially when there’s a lot of rain,’’ he said.

Kyle Beckerman: there's a reason why they are called dreadlocks. Photo: AFP

Kyle Beckerman - Dreaded locks

American midfielder Kyle Beckerman’s hair seems to have a fan club of its own. However, be alert but not alarmed, there’s a reason why they are called dreadlocks. ‘‘They get smelly,’’ hair stylist Joel Wallbank said. ‘‘It’s really hard to get clean because you can’t wash the hair properly and it just gets so smelly’’.

You can achieve the 32-year-old’s look by spending hours sitting in a salon or alternatively you can adopt the ‘‘freeform method’’ where you don’t brush, cut or wash your hair for days on end. Forty-seven year-old Asha Mandela holds the world record for having the longest dreadlocks - they are nearly 17 metres long and doctors say they could be causing her serious health problems.

Now that’s what you call a head of hair. Greek footballer Georgios Samaras has some luscious locks. Hair elastics? Who needs them when your hair is so perfectly sculpted. Beanie, or headband - the man can do it all. It’s no wonder he’s such a star on coolmenshair.com (which offers a lengthy and slightly disturbing analysis of his hair cut).

We very nearly could have had Samaras as one of our own. His father was born in Melbourne and he was eligible to play for Australia, but he chose to represent Greece.

Paul Pogba: could be very angry or very happy with his barber. Photo: AFP

Paul Pogba - Risky business

Arguably one of the most outrageous haircuts in the 2014 World Cup, France’s Paul Pogba could either be very angry or very happy with his barber. The 21-year-old was warned by his teammates to stay calm after he got into a scuffle with Honduras midfielder Wilson Palacios on Sunday. "We must have control,’’ the team’s manager said afterwards.

Perhaps that advice could have been useful a little earlier when Pogba was getting his hair styled. According to Sydney hair stylist Joel Wallbank, Pogba at least has the basic principles right. ‘‘I’m always a bit of a fan of really tapered short sides and back and still having a bit of length on the top to play around with it,’’ Mr Wallbank said.